Norman Gumma is a Sterling Heights, Michigan, man who was left a quadriplegic and unable to speak after a teenage driver fleeing police at nearly 90 miles per hour ran a red light and slammed into his vehicle on August 12, 2023. The crash killed his pregnant wife, Faith Gumma, 31, and their unborn child, and seriously injured the couple’s two-year-old son, Elijah. The driver, Travion Smith, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced in August 2025 to 25 to 50 years in prison.
The Night of the Crash
Around 9:30 p.m. on August 12, 2023, Sterling Heights police tried to stop a Chevy Equinox driven by Travion Smith, then 16, on Van Dyke Avenue near 15 Mile Road.1Macomb Daily. Young Driver Gets 25 Years in Crash That Killed Sterling Heights Woman, Gravely Injured Husband Smith fled, weaving between lanes and running red lights at speeds up to 93 miles per hour.2Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Driver Sentenced After Conviction of Second-Degree Murder Fleeing At Van Dyke and 16 Mile Road he ran another red and struck the GMC Terrain that Norman Gumma was driving, traveling about 88 miles per hour at impact.
Faith Gumma, who was pregnant, was pronounced dead at the scene along with her unborn child.2Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Driver Sentenced After Conviction of Second-Degree Murder Fleeing Norman, 36, suffered catastrophic injuries. Elijah, in the back seat, had fractured ribs and lacerated organs but was eventually released from the hospital and has since recovered.3Macomb Daily. Support Shown for Sterling Heights Family Involved in Tragic Crash Smith was uninjured.
How Norman Is Doing Now
Norman remains paralyzed. As of 2025, he has limited mobility below the neck, cannot speak, and communicates mostly through eye and head movements. He has undergone rehabilitation at facilities in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his family has sought treatment at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, though insurance has not covered those costs.4Stormin Strong. Stormin Strong His care is around-the-clock.
The Conviction and Sentence
Smith was charged as an adult with five felonies: second-degree murder, grossly negligent act causing the miscarriage of a pregnant individual, two counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function, and first-degree fleeing and eluding a police officer. On July 24, 2025, a jury convicted him on all counts.5Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Jury Finds Driver Guilty of Second-Degree Murder Fleeing Police
On August 26, 2025, Macomb County Circuit Court Judge James Biernat Jr. sentenced Smith, then 18, to 25 to 50 years in state prison on the second-degree murder count, with concurrent terms on the other counts (six to 15 years each on the miscarriage and fleeing counts, and two to five years on each reckless driving count).2Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Driver Sentenced After Conviction of Second-Degree Murder Fleeing
What the Judge and Prosecutor Said
Judge Biernat called the case among the most tragic he had encountered. He noted that Smith had no drugs or guns in the car and did not even know the vehicle lacked insurance. “You would have been pulled over and ticketed for having no insurance on your car. That’s all,” the judge said, before adding, “You literally wiped out a family. All you had to do was stop.”6Law and Crime. Man Fleeing Traffic Tickets Kills Pregnant Mother Traveling With Her Husband and 2-Year-Old Son He described Norman’s condition as “a fate worse than death” and told Smith, “Have mercy on your soul.”7WDIV (ClickOnDetroit). 18-Year-Old Sentenced for Murder in Deadly Macomb County Crash That Killed Pregnant Woman
Smith addressed the court and said he was scared during the chase and did not understand what happened. “I am not a murderer of any kind,” he said. Assistant Prosecutor Steve Fox replied, “I have news for you, sir, you are. Your conduct killed a woman and her unborn child.”6Law and Crime. Man Fleeing Traffic Tickets Kills Pregnant Mother Traveling With Her Husband and 2-Year-Old Son Smith’s defense attorney argued the crash was an accident driven by an irrational fear of police, not a planned killing, and noted Smith had no prior record and no alcohol or drugs in his system.7WDIV (ClickOnDetroit). 18-Year-Old Sentenced for Murder in Deadly Macomb County Crash That Killed Pregnant Woman
Fundraising and Community Support
Norman’s cousin and best friend, Patrick Rabban, launched a GoFundMe titled “Faith’s Memory, Norm’s Recovery” shortly after the crash.8GoFundMe. Faith’s Memory, Norm’s Recovery It raised $160,000 within two days3Macomb Daily. Support Shown for Sterling Heights Family Involved in Tragic Crash and had surpassed $292,000 from nearly 2,800 donors by mid-2026, against a $500,000 goal. Rabban said in a 2023 update that Norman’s medical bills had already exceeded $1 million. A separate effort called Stormin Strong, using the hashtags #StorminNorman and #NormanStrong, has drawn support from the electronic dance music community Norman was part of.4Stormin Strong. Stormin Strong
Push for Tougher Fleeing Laws
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido has used the case to call for state legislation imposing mandatory prison time on drivers who flee from police, describing the conduct as a “growing public safety threat.” “Every time someone runs, they roll the dice with innocent lives,” Lucido said. “I want to end that gamble.”9CBS News Detroit. Detroit Teen Convicted of Murder in Sterling Heights Crash That Killed Pregnant Mother, Unborn Child